Polish golumpki- this is a very popular dish of stuffed cabbage with ground meat. I will share to you all the secrets of cooking golumpki with a focus on Mediterranean cuisine.It is no secret that golumpki are prepared not only in Poland, they are often found in Croatian, Turkish and Greek cuisine. Each case has its own characteristics and spices that make stuffed cabbage special for each region.When I first tried a dish that seemed familiar to me, I realized that the recipe for stuffed cabbage that I used before could definitely be even better. The peculiarity of Polish golumpki in the Mediterranean style is its unique sautted tomatoes sauce with sweet pepper carrot and onion.
The owner of a delicious tavern on the Greek island Mykonos shared this recipe with me.I really love visiting such small family restaurants; they always have delicious food prepared according to old traditions. There is place that you can feel the authentic atmosphere of this sunny region, rich in olive oil and spices. This dish was called Lahanodolmades in the menu. As in most small restaurants on the Greek islands, the menu does not contain pictures. That’s why I was a little disappointed when I saw stuffed cabbage on my plate.
But after I tried this dish, my taste buds were in sweaty delight and I was already curiously breaking the cabbage roll with a fork to understand what makes it so especially tasty. As a rule, there is no much space in taverns, and any Mediterranean coast travel guide will advise you to visit a family tavern,this will allow you not only to enjoy very tasty food but also to meet local very friendly people.
In this tavern, an old man took orders, and his wife cooked meal in the kitchen, and after dinner this man always asked guests, Did they enjoy food? When the prople told him that everything was very goog and thanked him, he started quite loudly shout into the kitchen in Greek : Did you hear that? Everything is very tasty!
I was really impressed and decided to ask this nice woman what secret tips she adds to the stuffed cabbage to make it so mousewaterring. And here’s what I managed to find out!
Polish Golumpki : Ingredients And Substitutions
Cabbage – For this recipe, you need to use hard(autumn) white cabbage. Dont use young cabbage, it will cook too quickly. We need a rich taste of cabbage, which will absorb the tomato sauce for several hours during the cooking process.
Red cabbage will also work for this recipe, but be careful, it will stain everything around it too much.
How to soften cabbage leaves?This can be done in two ways: the first way is to cook it in the water and milk for a few minutes and remove the leaves.
The second method is suitable for medium-sized cabbage. Wrap the cabbage in a plastic bag and put it in the microwave for 15 minutes. The leaves will soften very quickly. If the leaves are not softened closer to the middle of the cabbage, repeat the procedure with the microwave. I often use the microwave trick because it saves a lot of time and I find it safer than a big pot of boiling water.
Ground meat – This Mediterranean-style recipe include ground lamb or beef. I prefer ground lamb with fresh flat-leaf parsley and mixed peppers. The young lamb gives the finished dish special flavor. And of course, you can use minced chicken, turkey or pork to your taste.
Rice – I use long grain basmati rice most often in my kitchen, but any rice you have on hand will work for this recipe. The main difference between short and long grain rice is that long grain rice is fluffier and drier, while short grain rice is stickier and mushy.
Milk – In this recipe, milk is poured into the hole left by the stalk when boiling the cabbage, this makes the leaves softer and more flexible. This is a feature of preparing cabbage according to the advice of a Greek chef.
Vegetables for sauce – The most important thing for sauce is ripe sweet tomatoes. I try to choose large pink tomatoes in season. You will also need sweet bell peppers, carrots and onions. Fresh basil and a mixture of dried Mediterranean herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) give a special Mediterranean
touch.
Vegetable stock – I make it from homemade vegetable broth cubes. I learned how to cook vegetable homemade vegetable cubes not too much time ago, but I will never buy them in the store again. Absolutely love it! Homemade vegetable cubes recipe is here.
Olive oil – for the sauce I usually use extra virgin olive oil, and for frying I use a special light olive oil that is suitable for cooking at high temperatures.
Salt – I have only two types of salt in my kitchen – sea salt and pink Himalayan salt. These two types have a less salty taste than regular salt.If you replace sea salt with regular salt, you will need 30% less of it.
How To Cook Polish Golumpki :
1.Prepare a large pot that will fit your entire cabbage. Pour half the volume of water and boil the water. Carefully make cross cuts around the cabbage stalk. Remove the stalk. Place the cabbage in boiling water very carefully and pour the milk into the hole from the stalk. Cover with a lid and cook about 5 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the cabbage leaves. They should become flexible but not very soft.
2. The second more easier way to prepare cabbage leaves is to use the microwave. Wrap the cabbage in a plastic bag and put it in the microwave for 15 minutes. After this time, open the bag and divide the cabbage into leaves.
3. Each cabbage leaf has a hard base; it must be carefully removed with a knife. Step by step process you can see in the video.
4.For meat filling: boil the rice until half cooked and let cool. Finely chop the carrots and onions and fry in olive oil until golden. Finely chop the parsley. Add rice, half of the fried onions and carrots and finely chopped parsley to the ground lamb. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the minced meat well with other ingredients until well combined.
5.For the Mediterranean tomato sauce: make cross cuts in the tomatoes and cover with hot water for 2 minutes. Peel the tomatoes and cut into small cubes. Peel the bell peppers and chop them too. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and saute the tomatoes and peppers until soft. Add the remaining half of the fried onions and carrots, add Mediterranean spices and fresh basil leaves. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Grind the vegetable mixture with a blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6.To form cabbage rolls: place 1-2 tablespoons minced meat on a cabbage leaf and roll it, turning the edges inward. You can see more details in the video recipe.
7.Place the cabbage rolls in a non-stick frying pan and pour in the sauce. Cook over low heat for 90 -120 minutes. Cooking time depends on your cabbage.
You can also try another perfect dishes with minced meat:
- Easy Italian Ground Beef and Peas : Quick and Hearty Dinner Recipe
- Taco Salad With Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Authentic Polish Golumpki Recipe: Cabbage Rolls Made Easy
Equipment
- large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 pc White Cabbage medium
- 25 oz ground lamb (or beef)
- 2 oz basmati rice
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 2 pcs onion
- 2 pcs carrots
- 1 pc Bell Pepper
- 17 oz Tomatoes
- Sea Salt
- Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 1/2 Bunch Parsley
- 1/2 bunch Fresh basil
- 1 tsp Mediterranean herbs
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
Instructions
- Prepare a large pot that will fit your entire cabbage. Pour half the volume of water and boil the water. Carefully make cross cuts around the cabbage stalk. Remove the stalk. Place the cabbage in boiling water very carefully and pour the milk into the hole from the stalk. Cover with a lid and cook about 5 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the cabbage leaves. They should become flexible but not very soft.
- The second more easier way to prepare cabbage leaves is to use the microwave. Wrap the cabbage in a plastic bag and put it in the microwave for 15 minutes. After this time, open the bag and divide the cabbage into leaves.
- Each cabbage leaf has a hard base; it must be carefully removed with a knife. Step by step process you can see in the video.
- For meat filling: boil the rice until half cooked and let cool. Finely chop the carrots and onions and fry in olive oil until golden. Finely chop the parsley. Add rice, half of the fried onions and carrots and finely chopped parsley to the ground lamb. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the minced meat well with other ingredients until well combined.
- For the Mediterranean tomato sauce: make cross cuts in the tomatoes and cover with hot water for 2 minutes. Peel the tomatoes and cut into small cubes. Peel the bell peppers and chop them too. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and saute the tomatoes and peppers until soft. Add the remaining half of the fried onions and carrots, add Mediterranean spices and fresh basil leaves. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Grind the vegetable mixture with a blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To form cabbage rolls: place 1-2 tablespoons minced meat on a cabbage leaf and roll it, turning the edges inward. You can see more details in the video recipe.
- Place the cabbage rolls in a non-stick frying pan and pour in the sauce. Cook over low heat for 90 -120 minutes. Cooking time depends on your cabbage.
Nutrition
How to serve golumpki?
Serve Mediterranean-style Polish golumpki with natural yogurt or sour cream.
How to make vegan golumpki?
To make vegan golumpki, replace the meat component with a mixture of fried mushrooms and lentils. This is a very tasty combination, try it even if you are not a vegetarian.
How to choose cabbage for golumpki?
Cabbage for Polish golumpki can be any. If the cabbage is young, the cabbage rolls will cook faster and have a less intense taste. I recommend choosing medium-sized, firm white cabbage.
How to store golumpki?
If you have leftover cabbage rolls, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days. It seems to me that golumpki become even tastier when stored, which is why I usually cook a lot.
Can uncooked cabbage rolls be frozen?
Yes, sure. You can prepare golumpki in advance and freeze them. Raw frozen golumpki can be stored in the freezer for 30 days
